


The Monster and the Murderer

by maroongrad



Category: Dracula - Bram Stoker, Hellsing
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, hurt alucard
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:40:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27909115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maroongrad/pseuds/maroongrad
Summary: Abraham's research subject is fading on him, and a living meal may be required. What better meal than a convicted murderer, the worst criminal on death row? Rated T because of really just language and some mentions of the experimentation itself.  This is set shortly after Dracula, with Van Helsing having captured the vampire, and before any of the events of Hellsing.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	1. The Monster and the Murderer; Dungeon

He'd been saved from the gallows, and Eric's heart lifted when he saw the man who'd come to rescue him. Piercing blue eyes, an open honest face, steady gaze...someone who looked every bit the savior he was. Someone must have found the murderer, realized it wasn't him, and his heart lifted with joy.

Until the man turned to the warden beside him and said, "That one is large and healthy. We'll take him." and then turned and walked away. The lock clicked, the warden and two of his jailers entered and grabbed his arms. Before he could struggle, a cloth was on his nose with a sticky, sweet smell and he knew no more.

\--v--v---

Feeding the beast wasn't as easy as Abraham had hoped. It drank every bottle of blood he gave it, no matter how cold or old it was, as long as the blood was human. Even so, it still faded on him. The limbs were full, the body firm, but the eyes dimmed and the hair lightened and the vampire moved slower and slower as the weeks wore on. Part of that may have been the experimentation; he'd cut the beast open and dissected and diagrammed its insides, tested its resistance to holy water, host, silver and more over different distances and dilutions, fired a silver bullet into its brain to render it senseless again and again, and while he didn't regret the treasure trove of knowledge he'd gained...perhaps it had been too much for the monster.

He'd called it Alucard as long as it was still responding, but it hadn't responded for more than a fortnight. He'd placed it in the coffin when the vampire had stopped being more than inert undead lump, and had seen no improvement. He'd fed it more blood, left it in the room, and returned the next night to discover it in precisely the same place it had been left. It had even stopped begging for fresh blood, crying that it needed to bite, was starving, and had faded more and more before it finally stopped entirely.

He couldn't bring it back. Not with a coffin, nor blood, not even pain to the point of agony stirred the vampire. When left alone after yet another fruitless attempt to get some sort of response to stimulus? It would eventually roll on its side, knees pulled up, and stare blindly through its barely-cracked eyes at absolutely nothing.

All he was left with was the possibility of actually feeding it a human. And so he'd found himself in a long debate over that, arguing the necessity, then another long debate at the jail arguing over the price, and he'd finally ended up with someone. Out of guilt, he'd asked for the most violent and dangerous person they had, because he frankly didn't think it would be an easy death. And now he was going to be responsible for the death of a human. An entire reprehensible human who'd killed his own family, but still a human. 

The jailers drug him out, his arms pulled around their neck and his feet dragging limply across the ground. The murderer was dumped unceremoniously on the floor of the dogcart, the keys to the manacles handed to him, and the jailers went inside. The whole event, from his arrival to his departure, had been less than ten minutes. Not much time, for the gravity of the event. With an internal shudder, he directed his two assistants to keep an eye on the prisoner, snapped the reins, and headed back home.

\---v---v----

Eric's eyes opened, starting vaguely at the dark surrounding him. He hurt...and thirsty, he was so thirsty. Pushing himself upright, he realized that his manacles had been removed; he was unchained and free, in someplace chilly, stone beneath him, and absolutely dark. It was horrifying...where was he? What had happened?

He stood, dizzy from the remains of whatever had knocked him out, and dizzy from his brain's lack of visual input telling him anything about up and down. He had heard nothing, only grim and frightening silence. 

"Hello?" His voice was quieter, raspier, and disappeared into the dark around him, the sound absorbing it and devouring it. Louder, then. Swallowing a few times, trying to work up some moisture, he called again. "HELLO??? IS ANYONE HERE? HELP! HELP!" Nothing, and tears pricked his eyes as he stumbled through the dark, outstretched hands colliding painfully with a rough stone wall. Wincing, Eric rubbed his wrists, then felt the wall farther. Stone wall, rough, stone floor, the odor of mildew on the air, the absolute darkness, the cold... No cave, with those blocks in the wall...dungeon. He'd gone from prison to dungeon, and with how cold and thirsty he felt, the lack of anything around him...the tears crept down his cheeks. There was no one here to see him, after all. 

With a last, tired, "Help?" he leaned his forehead on the wall, despairing. It had been a miserable few months, starting with the death of his family, him being accused as murderer, the trial and the sentencing, the long dragging miserable days in a prison, the brief and crushed hope upon seeing that man, and now this. A few moments of quiet despair, and then he began to feel along the wall. Maybe there was a door. Maybe some sort of escape. Maybe even water, in a bucket somewhere. He hadn't gone far before the silence was broken by the faintest of sounds, which turned into footsteps, which stopped nearby. He'd turned towards the sound and was nearly blinded when, with a rasp, a bright rectangle of light appeared at eye-height. 

"Please! Help!" He stumbled towards the light, face shielded by his arm, only to hear a long sigh and the rasping thump of the window, for that's what it had to be, sliding shut. "Nooo!" he moved towards the light he'd seen faster and faster, desperate to get to it and to get out, get away.

"Hasn't touched him. Sun's been down more than two hours, and he hasn't touched him." The voices faded away, mumbling, as he stumbled into the door, slamming into it face-first. He heard the nose crunch, knocked his front teeth painfully against the surface, and then had a stab of pain up from his knee where it, too, had hit the rough door. Metal, his grasping hands found, it was metal. And the voices were gone, the room as black as before, and he curled up against it, absolutely despairing. It took a few minutes to remember the bit about "it." Were they feeding him to a tiger? A lion? A bear? He hadn't smelled one, and wouldn't, not with his nose full of blood now. If there was something that was going to eat him, all he could do was sit as silently as possible and hope that, in the dark, it overlooked him.

\---v---v---

It was morning, and Abraham went to check in on the vampire again. If it had eaten the murderer, it would be much stronger and he didn't want to risk checking again at night. But with the sun well above the horizon, he had no such reservations. Shining his lantern into the room, he wasn't able to see anything at all. The vampire was usually pressed into the back corner, but the light itself was frustratingly dim. Turning it a bit to get a brighter light into the cage, he was interrupted by an unexpected, hoarse "Help!". 

Well, it looked like that murderer was still alive. Frustrating. Maybe they'd have to actually put his neck directly over the vampire's mouth or something similarly extreme. With the first chance at live prey since it's capture, he'd fully expected the vampire to have roused itself enough to tear the man apart. 

"No. You are sentenced to death, and you are here to die." Although he did feel a bit guilty that it was taking so long.

"Water... please, water!" Eric had lost hope that he'd be released, or even allowed to live, but he'd woken thirsty and the torment had only gotten worse over the hours, day, however long he'd been in the unchanging dark! Dry, so dry...he'd been forced to urinate, the unwelcome scent filling the cell for an unknown time until fading, but there had been very little. Dying of thirst would be a horrible way to go, he'd find the tiger first, but until then, it couldn't hurt to ask. And he was so, so thirsty.

Well, damn. Damn, damn, damn! He hadn't prepared at all to care for a prisoner, and even a murderer shouldn't be left to die a slow death of thirst. Granted, the vampire wouldn't let him live long enough for that to occur...but it had been most of a day since they'd taken the man, and who knows how long before that when he'd last eaten or drank.   
Grumbling, Abraham walked off, stomping up the stairs to go prepare something to keep his unwanted prisoner alive...just so he could die.

\---v----v----

The footsteps returned. Leaning on the door, Eric heard them, but had given up hope that whoever was out there would rescue him...the man wouldn't even speak to him or acknowledge him. A scrape, but lower, on the floor, a thud and a snick, a creak...and something cold and hard collided with his lower back. Eric nearly shrieked, falling forward and shoving himself to the side. Staring back, now he could see another lighted rectangle, at floor height. It disappeared before he could even begin to move towards it, a creak and a repeat of the sounds telling him it had likely been barred, locked away from the other side. 

Unexpectedly, a voice. Lessened by going through the thick metal door, but still clear and audible. 

"I've put some candles and a set of matches in there. I won't be providing any more. There's also some food." 

No water? The feet thudded away and Eric felt along the floor for the matches that were "in there". There was a metal tray, and in it were some items. Hard things, smooth things, he wasn't sure what, but it didn't take him long to find the matches and the candle. Lighting it by feel was harder than expected and the flare blinded him; he could only hope he'd gotten the match to the wick! His vision returned, and he was greeted with a small, flickering flame. It did nothing at all to lessen the darkness around him, but he could now see.

Bottles... water! He had one open and was drinking immediately, with barely the sense to put the candle down in a bit of melted wax. There was more...but drinking so much when so dry, was it safe to do? Unsure, but he could wait a few minutes at least for another bottle. For now, the cold water rolled and sloshed in his empty stomach, almost painful, but so so welcome. 

One smooth surface had been a paper bag, and in it he found sandwiches. Only two, better than nothing, but he was so hungry. At least it was some sort of food, and maybe there would be more. Unexpectedly, a blanket covered the bottom of the tray. Thin, frayed, clearly old and worn, but still very welcome as he wrapped it around his chilled body. A bundle of candles, all thin, and the matches...and nothing else.

Both sandwiches and a second bottle of water later, he felt much better. The despair had lifted, and there was a bit of hope, at least. Using a few drops of water, he barely wetted a corner of the blanket, trying to use it to clean the dried blood from under his nose. It was broken, but hurt far less than expected, a dull throb he could ignore. His teeth hurt more and they were loose, but given a few days they'd be firm in his mouth again.

A few days. He wouldn't have a few days, before whatever-it-was came after him. Maybe it wasn't going to eat him? The man had said "touch him" and maybe it meant something else? 

With the candles, he was ready and able to learn more about where he was. Blanket pulled across his shoulders, candle held high, he walked carefully along the walls. 20 feet from the door, there was a corner. Turning right, he followed it to the backwall, and then along the back wall itself. There was no change, no features. No doors, no windows, just the same solid stone floor and walls. On the back wall he found hooks, corroded iron , and at the thought of a dungeon he had no problem picturing heavy chains looped over them. Continuing on...he found something very unexpected in the corner.

A dead body. Cold, pale from what he could see in the light, unmoving, unbreathing. He stumbled backward, scream caught in his throat, until a hand moved, finger curling and hand pulled a bare inch towards the face.

Not a corpse. An old man, likely near death, how long had he been here! Scrambling, Eric staggered through the dark to the door. Water, he'd need water for the man, the candles so he could see, was the man injured? Hurry back hurry... sit by him, not moving...too late?

Mind racing, Eric rolled the old man over. Dry, the man's skin was dry, thin, he needed water. Propping the man's head in his arm, Eric poured a sip of water into the mouth. Nothing, nothing...a swallow! Yes! The brief joy ended when the head twisted, coughing, and the sip of water drooled back out. Again, and this time, a thin, pale hand moved to weakly push at the bottle. 

Perhaps the man was too far gone to save. A third attempt, no more successful than the first two, more of his precious water drooled onto the floor. He couldn't save him, he'd been too late, if only he'd looked sooner maybe he'd have found the old man in time. Cradling the man to his chest, Eric's tears came. Lost, scared, cold, alone, his family dead, an old man dying in his arms, and he could have saved him, and the grief just hit him like a locomotive. It was too much, for too long, and he rocked the old man gently in his arms as the tears rolled.

They ran down his cheek, through the blood smeared below his nose, off his cheek, and onto the face of the dying man. Noticing, Eric pulled back, grabbing the edge of the blanket to wipe the man's face clean...only to have a long, grey, monstrous tongue loll out and through the bloody tear drop.

Red eyes opened, they stared dazedly at each other for a moment, and then he was shoved backward. He saw the candle fall through the air and then his head collided with the hard floor and he could only stare dazedly at the blackness as the red eyes dipped towards him, and something rough rasped painfully across his chin. 

\--v---v----

Blood, there was blood...warm blood? He'd been vaguely aware of something happening in the room he'd been left to rot in, but had chosen to sleep, to be deliberately oblivious to whatever happened around him. He was so, so hungry, all he'd had since his capture was cold dead blood. A few times it had nearly been warm, had helped so slightly...but he'd run out of strength entirely after so long without it. What scraps of energy he had left, he hoarded, waiting and hoping. And now there was blood! First water, foul water, but it had moistened his mouth and helped bring him aware...and now he would eat!

He licked the sticky blood off, some flaking and dry, all fresh, still warm from the person it coated. Who was this? He wasn't so lucky as for it to be Abraham, but maybe one of the "assistants" that bastard had brought?  
Why would he feed one of them to a vampire? Pulling back, he looked down....at a rough, bearded face, dirty, bloody, hair filthy and tangled. Who? Another thoughtful lick of blood, the man had a broken nose and that was the blood he'd smelled.

Good blood too. A good man. While he was starving, he was also intensely lonely. Week after week of cold darkness, months before that of being talked about but never to, of being entirely ignored and often gagged and muted. Had the blood possessed the tang of cruelty, it would be a different matter entirely and he would be devouring the man already. But blood carried emotions, and all he tasted was grief, concern (for him?), despair, and a bitter determination to somehow escape.

Why on earth was such a person in the cell with him? The man had tried to give him some water? Yes, there was the bottle, loosely corked, and a taloned hand pressed the cork in farther. He was so hungry, but he'd wait until the man awakened. Until then...Yes. Rolling the man over revealed a bloody cut where he'd hit the floor, quickly cleaned. Hands and knees were scraped and bloody, not much, but some, and it was an effort to only lick and not bite. He hoped the man would wake soon, or he'd eat him regardless. But there was a possibility of more than just food, and he'd wait. Moving back to his corner, where he felt safer, Alucard stared at the man on the ground only a few feet away.

\--v---v---

Eric hadn't expected to live. He hadn't been completely unconcious, but definitely dazed as his body was rolled about. The darkness hid everything from him, he was aware of something happening to his body, but not really what. It stopped, and he slowly came back to his senses. It had only been a few minutes, he thought, but the red eyes were now watching him from the corner, and that was all he could see in the Stygian blackness. 

A monster. They were going to feed him to a monster. He rolled away from the eyes, standing and backing away, until his back hit a wall. Moving along the wall, it was a short distance before his feet kicked the metal tray, nearly tripping him. The tray, candles! Shaking fingers made it difficult, but he managed to light a candle with a few fearful glances at the red eyes that simply watched him from the darkness. Grabbing the tray as the only potential weapon he had, pulling the cord on it tight, he stared at the eyes...and they stared at him. Time passed, dragging by as the two watched each other. 

\--v--v---

He wanted to talk to the man, but so long without speaking and with a throat dry as dust, he couldn't make a sound. Very weak, vulnerable, he'd gone back to his corner to wait and see what would happen. The walls protected him on two sides, supported him, and he rested his chin on his knees and watched to see what would happen. The candle burned his eyes, accustomed as they had been to the dark, but the man holding it just stared at him in fear. The pounding of his heart was audible and Alucard licked his lips in hunger, staring at the man, waiting. Humans were so easily frightened...he didn't want this one terrified. Much the opposite. And so he waited.

\---v---v---

He wasn't sure how much time had passed. He was on the last candle, except for the stub by the monster, and it hadn't moved this entire time. Eric was starting to feel foolish. It hadn't moved, hadn't done anything to threaten him, and while it had knocked him over, it hadn't hurt him afterwards even while he was laying there, dazed and helpless. He didn't have much light left...and if he didn't want to be alone in the dark with the unknown, he'd have to find out before it got dark. Standing, he moved cautiously towards it, red eyes tracking him but otherwise motionless. Leaning down, eyes on the monster, he felt around and found the other bit of candle. Still nothing happened. Grabbing the blanket, he pulled that to himself, and still nothing. It simply watched him, looking like nothing more than an old and tired man, brought to lie only by the glowing eyes and the memory of that inhuman tongue. 

Unsure, he stared at it, then yelped suddenly as the pain in his thumb registered. The candle had burned down to the last bit that he was holding! He hadn't missed the monster's head jerking backwards or the thump of its head on the stone, but he needed to get the other candle lit, immediately. The one he'd held had dropped to the floor but thankfully still burned, and he lit the stub of the last candle from it. With the last of the light, he studied the monster, seeing the dark circles under its eyes, the paleness of the skin, the worn and tattered appearance of its clothes, the bare feet...was this a prisoner, too?

And then the candle guttered out in its wax on the floor, and he was left in nothing but darkness. Scooting away, he moved towards the door, putting his back to the solid metal and watching the red eyes watch him. He huddled into the thin blanket, and stared. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, and he heard the footsteps again. Standing, eyes on the monster, he pounded on the door with the side of fist, shouting.

"Help, please, for the love of God, it's a monster! Help! Please, please, it's watching me! Let me out, I will do anything, just let me out!"

\--v---v---

Abraham and his men stood outside the door, listening. The man inside was screaming, breaking into sobs, and he'd clearly found the vampire...why was he still alive? Perhaps he had been bitten and was ghouling? The screams made him cringe, and he felt terrible for the man...but this was why he'd asked for the the worst prisoner in an entire prison of rapists and murderers. Whatever happened to the man, it wasn't happening to a decent human being. With an internal shudder, Abraham knelt and pulled on the cord. The tray slide out, empty. He'd brought food and water again, in case the man hadn't died yet although it certainly sounded like he would soon. Three more bottles and another bag of sandwiches, candles and matches, ready to be pushed under the door again. Beside him, the two men stood tensely, eyes watching the opening at the bottom of the door for any movement indicating a vampire trying to attack or escape. There was nothing, only more screams and pleas.

"Please, a light, the candles are gone, please!"

Eyeing the tray, Abraham removed the bundle of candles. Perhaps the light had kept the vampire away, or the flame kept it cautious? Moving to the side, he unbolted the flap again, thrust the tray in, and bolted it safely shut. Night had fallen, the room was dark, the vampire was awake...he had high hopes. Muttering a brief prayer to himself for the poor murdering bastard in there, he left, men trailing behind him.

\--v--v----

The tray held food and water again, but no candles, no matches, no way to make any light. He was hungry and exhausted, and Eric made short work of the meal and most of the water, watching the unblinking and unmoving eyes. Hours passed, and the continued terror, the darkness, the chill, the sheer amount of time (how long had it been) since he'd last slept...Eric found himself drowsing. Jerking awake, he gasped and looked at the eyes. Were they closer? 

No, no, they were not. He was going to sleep if he sat there, so upright it would be. Standing, leaning against the door, he made it several more hours before sleep claimed him. Legs buckling, he slid down the door, and this time he didn't wake before he was on the ground.

\--v---v---

Asleep. The man must be exhausted. Well, he wasn't much better, even after the bit of blood he'd licked off the man. Master was being cruel to him, too; ignoring the prisoner as much as he'd ignored the vampire. Slowly, Alucard crawled across the floor, too tired to stand, to sit in front of the man slumped against the door. He was hungry, so hungry, and the pulse in the throat seemed to call him. No, he was too old to lose control like that. He'd ask the man for blood once he woke. Until then...it had been far too long and too lonely. He'd take what comfort he could get. With that thought, the vampire curled up on the floor, head resting in the man's lap.

\--v---v---

NO! Eric jerked awake, aware he'd fallen asleep with the predator. A rub of his eyes to clear them, and no red eyes watched him. Had it fallen asleep too?

And that was when he realized that something was on his lap. Heart in his throat, he carefully felt the object to find it was the head of the monster.

Sleeping.

Unwilling to move and wake it, he sat silently. Many motionless minutes later, curiousity got the better of him. The thing hadn't hurt other than knocking him down and hadn't hurt him while he was dazed, it found him asleep and hadn't hurt him...

Maybe it was just as much a prisoner and just as miserable as he was? If he wasn't in the dark and the cold, alone, would it have been anywhere near as frightening? Honestly...not likely. Not after so long, and not after he'd been clearly safe around it. Well, if that asshole that put him here thought the creature was going to eat him or hurt him somehow, looks like he was going to be disappointed. Carefully, gently, he began to run his fingers over and through its hair, petting the beast, and calming down with each slow, thoughtful stroke. He was still tired, he didn't know how long he'd been asleep but it couldn't have been that long. Resigning himself to fate, Eric shifted the head off of him, and the curled up on the floor beside it, huddled in the blanket. 

He woke up when the tray was shoved through the door and collided with the back of his head.

\--v---v---

The yelp startled Abraham. He'd looked through the window, seeing no man and no vampire, either. He should have chained the damned beast to the wall so he could see it, but then again, that would have meant it couldn't get to its dinner, either. That poor bastard had been in there a couple of days, now, far longer than he'd ever have imagined. He highly doubted the man was alive at this point, but it being night, he wasn't going to go in and check. The last time he'd peeked in, the lantern had picked out the dark form of the vampire hiding in the corner and this time it was gone. Well, he had the food with him, might as well put it in there just in case. And that had resulted in a very human yelp of pain or surprise.

Still alive, eh? Damnation. Hopefully the vampire would eat him tonight. It was out of its corner and that alone was a huge improvement from the inert lump he'd had for far too long. Sighing, and shoulders slumped a bit in disappointment, Abraham moved up the stairs. He'd really expected a vampiric growl or something other than the sounds of a still-living murderer.

\--v--v--

Eric jolted awake, grabbing the twice-abused back of his head in pain. At least this time he wasn't dazed! Memory struck suddenly and he looked down, seeing the red eyes watching him, less than an arms-reach away. Blinking at it, he tried, for the first time, to talk to it. It took a moment to get his vocal cords working, but his weak "Hello" got the first response he'd seen...a blink! He scooted the rest of the way back, leaning against the door as he felt about for the tray that had been shoved so rudely in. The tray was pushed into his hand, and as he felt about for the sandwiches and water, he could hear the rustling sounds of the monster moving about, right next to him. The hair raised on his neck, but he did his best not to look scared. 

A sigh, more hollow than any human ever made, and right by his ear, made him startle anyways, but nothing terrible happened. A cold, hard form leaned up against him and then stopped moving, and he could feel that silky hair touching his neck as the head rested on his shoulder. Cautiously, he reached up to pet it again. He was too hungry to do more now that his fear was lessened, and it wasn't long before both sandwiches were again gone. His stomach rumbled in hunger, this was nowhere near enough food, but at least he wasn't starved. He then felt the creature beside him shift, pushing his head forward, a sniff, and then something, from the position and sound most likely a tongue, was licking the cut on the back, which the tray had re-opened.

"Hungry." Weak, tired, hollow-sounding, the monster was speaking. 

"I... I ate the sandwiches..." And a touch of guilt, at that. The thing hadn't been fed in longer than he had, and there were two sandwiches...was one meant for it? "I'm sorry, I didn't think...I...when he feeds us again I'll give you both."

A huff. "Blood. So hungry, I need blood." The voice was rough, damaged, and pleading. As he sat there in fear (it was going to eat him? Blood? the only monster he knew of that drank blood was a vampire...and vampires weren't real) the creature leaned against him, and he could feel the faint shuddering of its body. Was it cold? Moving about, he pulled the blanket about both of them. It was barely big enough, and left his legs bare, but the creature seemed to appreciate it. As he pulled his legs up to his chest, it moved closer, the head dropping down from his shoulder...and it licked his knees, even sucking slightly to get whatever blood it could from whatever small abrasions he had.

\---v---v---

Yes, it WAS a good man. The concern about the sandwiches, the blanket it had shared, even the gentle petting he'd woken to...a good man indeed. The flavor of the blood, the knowledge that came with it, confirmed that this was NOT the sort of man he'd ever think would be tossed to a vampire for food. But he had been. If it had been a violent and cruel man, by now he'd have been a meal. But this one...no. Not just a meal. It was so, so nice, so wonderful, to have him there. Hot human warmth, the gentle hands on his head, the body he was leaning against, the blanket around them...wonderful. The vampire didn't know what touch-starved was, or solitary confinement, but he'd suffered both and was now greedily making up for the lack. But...he needed more than comfort, more than just the traces of blood he'd licked away no matter how delicious. He wasn't sure how to explain this to the man, and settled against him more comfortably as well as settled for plain bluntness.

"I'm a vampire, I need blood." The man gasped and stiffened, and Alucard worked to calm him by curling closer, nearly draped across his chest. "They put you here to feed me. I don't want to kill you. But I need blood, and you have enough to help me without putting yourself in danger from the loss." A long pause, and then, yes, wonderful, the man was touching him again, strokes running down his back, and he nearly melted with bliss. Time passed...he was hungry, but this was nice, so nice, and he needed it as much as blood.

\--v---v---

It WAS a vampire. They DID plan to feed him to it. But it seemed the vampire had no intention of murdering him. It seemed a fairly decent creature; he couldn't picture anything truly monstrous being draped across his lap or cuddling up next to him. He wasn't sure what it was...but some terrible and awful thing? No...although the man who put them both in here was likely exactly that. What sort of human would throw another man into a cold, dark dungeon to be eaten by a monster? He'd met exactly that kind. But why?

"Why did they put you here? And me?" The vampire stiffened, and shuddered, then turned and twisted to bury his face in Eric's shirt. At least that's what it felt like, in this absolute darkness he really wasn't sure what was happening. He did have a couple of matches left, but wasn't sure if he wanted to use their brief light to look, or save them. Then again, save them for what? Patting the vampire's head with one hand, he fumbled the matches away from the wall and struck one against the stone. It flaired up...and yes, the vampire was doing what he thought. He'd put his knees down as they talked and it was curled up, body across his legs and face against his chest. 

\--v--v---

He'd managed to block out what Abraham had done to him, to work very very hard at not remembering it, to stay in the moment...and that innocent question had pulled those memories right back. When he had done such things to humans, they had eventually died, or at least fainted from blood loss, but he had no such refuge. He was awake and aware long before he could move again, and could only lay there paralyzed by the bullet as the men finished their research. As soon as he was able to move, and began to twitch instead of thrashing in agony, he'd find himself dumped right back into the cell, where he'd wait until the door opened and a bullet hit his brain. They hadn't even spoken to him in months, simply hauled him about and dumped him, and he found himself keening quietly into the man's shirt. 

He was too old for this, he refused to be broken, and forced himself back into control. He could feel the panic inside, but could at least keep it from his voice. "You are here...because they want me to kill eat you, so that I can recover and they can continue their, research, on me." He managed this explanation, then nothing but silence.

\--v--v---

Whatever they'd done to the old man, the vampire, must have been bad indeed. "Research", indeed, and he doubted very much they were having the vampire read books. Whatever it was, however they'd done their "research" it had turned the vampire into this thing, this old man that wanted to be held...and wanted his blood. The poor bastard. It hadn't hurt him, other than knocking him down when it went after the blood from his nose, it didn't seem homicidally violent at all...he'd ask. He remembered stories of vampires, serials in newspapers and such, and they were monsters, but it hadn't ever detailed just how they got the blood out of the person. He'd always assumed, really, that they just ripped the person apart. This...did not seem like a vampire that wanted to rip him apart.

"You want my blood...I....how? How does that...happen?"

The vampire shifted about slightly, then spoke, a hopeful tone to its voice. "I have fangs. They are very sharp, and I use them to bite; you have veins in your arms and legs. The blood comes out the holes, and I drink it, and then when I stop, the holes heal quickly. Don't be afraid of the bite. If it hurt too much, we'd never get a second meal from someone." A raspy chuckle at this, but Eric was frozen at the thought of those teeth going into his skin. "They say it's painless," actually, they said it was very much the opposite of painful "and I won't take so much that you're badly weakened. You have water here, you'll need to drink it afterwards, but you should be fine." The man sat quietly, not even touching him, hands still, and...would he refuse? If he did...well...he'd be so hungry he'd bite him anyways in a few days and the man wouldn't live through it. But he didn't want that...he wanted the company, wanted conversations and interactions and just having SOMEONE there! The fact that it was someone who was kind and good-hearted, that he wouldn't have to worry about, made that want even stronger.

"Please...please...I'm so hungry." He hated begging, but any pride he had remaining had taken a beating, and he was so, so hungry. 

\--v---v----

"Where would you bite me?" A cold finger ran along the inside of his arm, just above his elbow. "And how much blood?" Dear God, was he considering doing this? Well, yes...he had a feeling he'd be in here until he died, and he'd been moved to pity by the poor man, and really it hadn't bitten him or even tried to yet, and... what did he have to lose? A few more hours or days of life, in the cold and dark?

The eyes looked up at him, and while he couldn't see the face at all, the expression of the eyes seemed to be hopeful. "A few mouthfuls. You may feel dizzy, but some water and sitting for a bit and you should fully recover." A pause. "I will be much stronger, and I will bring you the water to drink, but we will be trapped here still." Yes, he knew that...but at least they wouldn't be trapped here and both be miserable and hungry. A deep breath. 

"Alright."

He was not expecting the sheer speed! There was no delay, no looking for a vein, but as soon as the word left his mouth, the vampire's teeth were in his arm! He cried out, but..there was no pain, not like he expected. It felt warm, comfortable, soothing, and he felt himself relaxing. Nothing was wrong, what could be wrong? It was all just fine. And over far sooner than he expected. 

Wet slurping sounds, the vampire licking its lips? The eyes were much brighter now, too. He was dazed...lack of blood? The effect of the bite? He didn't know, but while he pondered this a chill glass edge touched his lips and he found himself drinking the water. Almost a full bottle, the last one most likely, the vampire must have brought the one from when he tried to give it water before. He would never have found it in the dark, how did the vampire? He felt himself pulled and lifted, now him in the vampire's lap, blanket wrapped about him and shoulder leaning against the creature. It was much better than being on the ground, and he could feel the arms around him, hard and strong, as he slumped and leaned in a post-bite daze. The vampire. He couldn't call it that, it had a name, he had a name, right?

"What's your name?" Mumbled and blurred, but there. 

"I was Dracula, but that title doesn't fit me here in a dungeon, and my birth name I have not used since shortly after my change. Master calls me Alucard, a name I had given to them, Dr. Alucard, when they thought me a human. It is as good as any." A comfortable pause, as he woke up more and became more aware of what was happening. "Is there a name you would like me to use?"

An odd way of putting it, but, yes, the vampire could have his name. "Eric. Eric Smith." An odd rumble under his ear, as the vampire settled him a bit more comfortably.

"It will be dawn soon, and I will be forced into sleep. I can fight it to stay awake, but at some point during the day, I will lose that fight. I will be very hard to wake, and will seem dead, but it is only a vampire's sleep. If Master returns, I will be helpless...please, try to wake me." The voice was pleading, and how could he say no? That poor bastard. But, after his donation, he himself was much too tired to stay awake any longer.

"I need to sleep. Can you let me sleep until dawn? I'd like to talk to you more when you are awake, but I am just too," yawn, "tired.".

"Giving a meal does that, your body will adapt to the loss of the blood but until then, yes, sleep. I will wake you at dawn."

The man nodded off, Alucard making certain he was comfortably situated until dawn. Feeling the sun rising, he moved the man onto the floor, and laid down behind him. The sun wouldn't be up just yet, he could let the man rest a bit more until he woke him, Eric needed his rest. He'd taken more blood than intended, but the man seemed to have handled it well, just tired. Yes, he'd let him rest a bit.

Without hunger and fear to keep him awake, the warm human lying in front of him, Alucard found himself falling asleep...and unable to prevent it or wake Eric.

\---v----v-----

This is a lot longer and wordier than I'd planned, I'd expected to finish it tonight but that's only if I made it a bare-bones story lacking descriptive detail. I'll try to add more soon! This story is both on Fanfiction and Archiveofourown.


	2. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Left together, Alucard and Eric talk, learning about what happened to each, and Abraham learns a terrible truth.

Eric wasn't sure how much time had passed. The vampire was a lump behind him, he could feel where the vampire was touching him. That poor bastard; it was absolutely desperate for touch But why hadn't it woken him? They both must have slept. 

Feeling around by the door revealed no filled tray, only the empty one, and he was hungry and thirsty again. Not enough food, not enough water, and then the drain by the vampire. He still couldn't believe he'd done that, but it seemed to have turned out well. A run over where the bite had occurred showed no lumps, no welts, and no pain, and a solid meal and plenty to drink and he'd be fine. The vampire had much more energy, and he'd appreciated that as he was too tired and dizzy for a bit to have found the water or wrapped himself in the blanket!

Feeling around again, he found the edge of the blanket and moved to sit by the vampire. It was limp and cold, and if he hadn't known better he'd have thought it was a dead body, a cold corpse. At least he was resting, and Eric wrapped himself up in the blanket and lifted the vampire's head off the floor and onto his lap again. There was nothing to do, but at least playing with the creature's hair was a distraction.

Time drug by, cold and dark, unchanging, and he was so very grateful for the prescence of the vampire, even if it was asleep. It was driving him mad, he kept hearing things that weren't there, and seeing flashes of grey movement in the corner of his vision. Completely dark, completely silent...he could hear his own heartbeat. And then actual noise, the faintest sound of a door creaking open, and he was shoving at the vampire, shaking it, trying to wake it, lifting it up by the shoulders and twisting its torso, hearing the sounds of feet on the steps, and suddenly there were two bright red eyes. Frightened, too... large and rounded, and with no warning two solid arms scooped him up and he could feel movement. He was placed down again, back to the wall, and vampire huddling next to him. The poor thing...he could feel it shivering in fear. Feeling about, he pulled the blanket free from underneath him and again wrapped it around them both. As he did so, the scraping and thudding began and the small flap opened in the wall across from them. The vampire had moved them to the wall opposite the door. 

The flap was open, letting in a rectangle of light that stretched across the floor and nearly to their feet. Rattling, and the tray again, and both stayed silent. The vampire was clearly terrified, face buried against his chest, and from the feel of it, hands fisted in the front of his shirt, and he wasn't going to make a sound to draw attention to them. This would have worked, except that after the bottom flap closed, the rectangle on the door opened and bright light from a lantern was suddenly blinding him. Eric threw an arm over his face, blinded by the sudden light, and twisted, trying to hide the vampire behind him as best as he could.

\---v---v----

Not a sound as the tray went in, an excellent sign! Perhaps the vampire had finally eaten the man last night? Abraham gestured, and the man next to him handed him a lantern. Bright, with a shiny reflective metal back that would direct the light only forward, he'd be able to see the entire room now, see if there were bits of the body about, or a blood spray, or hopefully some sign that his vampire had finally roused and eaten. 

What he didn't expect to see was the vampire and its meal, huddled together against the back wall. He saw the murderer throw up an arm, and curl protectively around the vampire. The man was alive and healthy, and the vampire showed no sign of eating him. Blinking, he saw the vampire pressing into the man, shifting as it tried to hide behind him...and...this was the most unexpected thing he'd ever seen. Had he found four unicorns performing a flamenco dance in the room, he could not have been more surprised.

Ah, a ghoul. The vampire had most likely bitten the man to ghoul him, and thus use him as a tool against his captor. That...would make sense. A closer look and he found a determined glare on the face, not the blank and grey visage of a ghoul. Maybe he had just been bitten? It could take time for someone to ghoul, from a few minutes to most of an hour. He'd wait, and see...and decide what to do next. Pulling the lantern away, he slid the window closed. He'd give it an hour, in case the vampire had only bitten the man when it heard them coming, and see the situation then. Yes, there would be a fresh ghoul; they'd never really had the chance to study one, for they died as soon as the vampire that made them died. But if his vampire had created one, well, it was a murderer and he would take advantage of the opportunity to finally study an active, fresh ghoul.

\---v---v---

In the silent blackness, the vampire shivered and shook. Eric soothed it, rubbing circles on its back, talking to it quietly, and as the minutes passed the vampire calmed. Red eyes looked up at Eric, then the vampire pushed itself to sit upright behind him, leaning on the wall. "He's gone." Subdued, quiet, and miserable, the vampire's voice was hard to hear even in the silence around them. "I was expecting a bullet at any time."

"A bullet?"

"He shoots me, and I wake up in his lab, being cut open, unable to move, feeling their hands in me as they talk about what they are doing. I hear them say that they are cutting into my liver, or dissecting an intestine, and I feel it. I am in agony and they do not stop. They talk about what they will do next, so I have time to dread it, alone in the dark and knowing, KNOWING what will happen and helpless to stop it. They planned to take an eye next. I lay there, and when I can move? I am placed back here, to wait for the door to open, and another bullet." 

Grim and sad, the monster sat quietly as Eric sat in shock. They cut into it, "research", as it was awake, aware? A moment later, and it suddenly stood and vanished. Eric felt wildly about for it, suddenly alone again in the dark, heart racing at the unexpected abandonment, and then he heard a quiet rustling from the direction of the door, and a few dull glassy clunks. A moment later, and the creature was settling beside him again, handing him an open bottle of water which he thankfully drank. Two sandwiches again, nowhere near enough, another bottle of water, and he'd save the third for who knew when more would be available? They had a collection of the bottles now, three from each of his small meals, and he contemplated using them to beat the man who'd tortured the vampire and locked himself here, cold, hungry, thirsty, and intended as nothing but a meal to a monster. 

"Why are you here? By your blood, I know that you are a good man. Why did they feed you to me?"

"My wife and children were murdered." It hurt to talk about them, but he had someone to listen to him now that would believe he was innocent. "I think I know who did it, but I had no alibi, I had been outside, hammering nails in on the back of the house where the boards were coming loose, chopping some logs into kindling, setting rat traps by the woodpile, and I came in to find them dead. So they arrested me, convicted me, and I was waiting for the hangman when he came in, picked me out, drugged me, and I woke up in here on the floor in the dark."

The vampire was quiet, and then softly said, "At least I am a monster, they have no excuse for treating you like this." 

It must still be daylight, for the vampire leaning against him slowly became limper and more and more still. Moving him carefully, unable to see what he was doing, Eric shifted the creature about so that it was once again resting with its head in his lap. A cold gusty sigh, and it went completely inert. They waited, the vampire sleeping, and Eric gently petting it and thinking. He needed more food, a lot more. He was so hungry that other than a few times he'd urinated, he hadn't defecated...there simply wasn't enough mass there, and it was frightening to realize just how little he'd gotten. Stress, fear, and cold had kept him from recognizing the tired dizziness of hunger, and now that he'd had a small meal, he could see how poorly he'd been doing. He was not a small man, not at all, and this was far far too little food.

Well, he might as well ask for more. What was his captor going to do, feed him to a monster? With a snort, he waited, and before long, there were footsteps and the top flap opening again.

"I need a lot more food than this. I'm half-starved and constantly thirsty and cold. Candles, matches, something to see with, please, I need food and light!" He pleaded into the bright light that was blinding him, arm up as his eyes watered, but as soon as he spoke the light dimmed, shining away from him, lighting the back wall but no longer directed straight at him.

"You should not be alive! Why has he not bitten you? Tell me what has happened, and I will give you more food."

"And lights, and another blanket, and water. I suppose my freedom is too much to ask for." Eric regretted his sarcastic request but his captor ignored it, silent for a minute.

"Yes...yes, I will do this. You have been here far, far longer than I planned. I will give more. Now explain." Silence, as the man waited for his answer. Eric used the light as a chance to look around and locate the last bottle of water, reaching out to grab it with his fingertips, it almost out of reach, and take a sip of water. A gentle stroke of the vampire's head.

"I told Alucard I would wake him when you were here. This will take a moment."

"Nein, stop! I wish to talk to you without his influence. Vampires twist the mind, I wish to hear your answers without him affecting them." A reasonable request, but, he'd told the vampire he would wake it. Then again, he really did need more food, his intestines cramping as the sandwiches reached them after an extended time without sustenance. Looking at the vampire, petting it idly, he considered the requirement and agreed. He'd tell it afterwards, but for now, it could get a bit more rest.

"All right. I may wake him anyways if your questions become something I can't answer or won't. You put me here, and he did nothing to me. I didn't even realize he was here until I was feeling around the cell and ran across him. He looked like an old man on the verge of death, I tried to give him a sip of water. I broke my nose on the door, there was dried blood on my face and neck and he woke up and licked that off. I ran to the door, he left me alone, even when I went and gathered the blanket and candle near him. It was the only light I had, and you hadn't given me any more." No, the bastard hadn't given them any sort of light, left him alone in the dark with a blood-drinking monster that was expected to eat him.

"I couldn't stay awake forever, and woke up when the tray hit me, with him curled next to me. He...he wanted touch, wanted to be touched, was in constant contact with me. He licked more blood from injuries, and asked me for my blood." 

\---v---v---

ASKED for the man's blood? This was a vampire, vampires didn't ask, they attacked, bit, killed!

"It ASKED?"

"Yes, he was very weak, hadn't hurt me, and if he'd killed me then, well, it would mean I'd have a few less days here in the cold and dark, slowly starving." Abraham felt a bit of guilt at that but pushed it down, this was a murderer after all. "So, I let him. He got me water, wrapped me in the blanket, and held me as I recovered. We talked a bit more, I slept, he slept, I woke up, you came back, I woke him up, and he carried me to the back wall. You left, came back, and here we are."

Three days together, there had to be more to the story than this. They'd talked? Talked about what?

"You talked? What could you have talked with a vampire about?" 

"You. What you have done to it. Your "research", your plan to take his eye. What happened to me." 

Take his eye? How had the vampire known that? He certainly hadn't told it, had someone else come down here and done so, against his direct orders? "Who told the vampire we were going to research his eye?"

"Told him? He heard you, same as always. He said you talk about what you will do to him, then lock him away, and he has to wait, knowing what is going to happen. That's just...I...how could you DO that? He sits there, knowing how you're going to torture him, unable to do anything about it except fear. It's inhumane! And then me? What sort of a monster are you!" The man glared blindly at him; he wasn't visible, really, with the lantern beside him, but it was obvious that the glare was intended at him. Mein Gott. The vampire had heard them? 

If it had heard them, had it been awake? Saliva flooded his mouth, Abraham fighting nausea at the thought of what he'd done to the beast. He had to make sure, surely he hadn't done that to it?

"He heard us, did he say how?" Perhaps it was reading minds? He did not think so, but if it was, he needed to know.

"He is unable to move, not unable to hear. He may be in agony, but he can still understand you." Angry, the man was angry...and Abraham was sick at what he'd done. He'd thought the monster entirely unaware, and bile rose in his throat as he retched onto the floor. The men with him stared at him; they'd heard, too, and were as horrified as he was. It was one thing to keep a monster locked away, not a danger to anyone...but another to torture it.

"I see." He rasped it out to the man, then shut the window. Leaning on his knees for a moment, he waited, eyes closed, all that they had done to the beast running through his mind. Mein Gott. Breathing deeply, he pushed himself upright again, motioning to the men to follow him. He had a prisoner to feed and far, far too much to think about. He'd hoped the man lying, but how else would the vampire know what they had planned? Its eyes glowed, it could see in the dark, and they were planning to see just what made the eye so different, what anatomical differences existed. They'd have gouged its eye out while it was awake. Gorge rising again, he swallowed hard and went up the stairs. More food, more water, candles, blanket...that poor beast. He hadn't meant it to suffer so. Blood for it, too.

He pushed it under the door, not saying anything to his prisoners, and left. He had a lot of praying to do, asking for forgiveness for what he'd done.

\-----v-----v---------

The tray had been used again but there was more than could fit in it; he'd seen the shaped pushed through the flap. A flash of light from the window, probably checking to make sure they were away from the door, then objects pushed through. Food...he wanted to go get it but was very reluctant to leave the vampire alone. What if they grabbed him while he was by the door, leaving Alucard alone again? Shoving and shaking, and the vampire woke, blinking dazedly.

"They brought me more food. The man wanted to know what had happened, I told him a bit of it in return for food, water, light. It's waiting at the door, I didn't want to leave you here to get it in case I was grabbed."

He'd told Abraham? A touch of anger, but what was done, was done, and who knows, maybe it would mean he'd see his own conditions improving. Taking Eric's arm, he guided him through the dark to the door, and gasped.

Bottles of blood. They'd given him blood, he wouldn't need to bite Eric again for several days at the least. More food, too. Apples, sandwiches, a few cold baked potatoes, butter, most of a loaf of bread... Full canteens of water, three of them, and...a pallet? Yes, very thin, rolled up, a bedroll, and another blanket. Candles, too, matches, and a small lantern, a tin of lantern oil next to it. He had never lit a lantern, but he could light the candles, and he did, quickly striking a match and lighting two of them. 

Eric moved to grab the sandwiches, alternating bites with a drink from a canteen, and Alucard grabbed the two bottles of blood. 

"What's that?" Ah, yes, human eyes... HE could see the rich dark blood, but doubted Eric saw more in the candlelight than the bottles themselves.

"Blood! Not fresh, but two full bottles! More than I needed from you, and this will keep me for a few days." Nearly purring over the discovery, Alucard quickly twisted the tops off and sucked it down. As he did so, Eric found a note tucked in the bottom of the tray.

"Seems he wants the bottles back. Any way to use those against him?"

"Not that I've found. I threw them at him, once, when he was coming in, and it hit, but they pulled him through the door before and closed it too quickly. Now, they don't give me any more bottles of blood, just feed me before returning me here. I'd like to say we could use them, keep them as weapons, break off the bottoms to give us a sharp edge to cut with, but he's not foolish. I doubt they'll come in here until every bottle is accounted for and returned. And even then, we'd be shot before we could use them."

Nothing more than he'd expected, and Eric gathered the bottles, able to fit most of them in the tray. They wouldn't all fit, but maybe that would keep the man nervous. The man...he didn't even have a name.

"I haven't even asked...what is his name?"

"Abraham. Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, although I hear them refer to him as Dr. Hellsing now."

\--v---v---

Looks like it'll be three chapters after all....


	3. Making Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abraham learns more than he wanted about how his treatment had affected the vampire, and attempts to make some amends.

I had reviews here and one on fanfiction...and that pushed me to put up another chapter

\----v----v------

Eric and Alucard rested after their meals, leaning on each other for a bit before unrolling the bedroll and blanket. Alucard had pointed out the lantern, and within a few minutes, the lantern was filled, wick pulling up the oil, and a bright flame dancing at the top of it. Eric was impossibly glad to have this much light, no longer just a meager circle around them and a black void beginning only a few feet away, but a chance to actually see the entire room. Alucard had stretched out on the bedroll, then curled around Eric as a backrest as Eric settled. One hand resting on the vampire's head, stomach full with nothing left but an apple and bit of bread, they were relaxing. Less frightening, now that...Abraham...had acknowledged and spoken to him, and things were not so bleak. Not good, but not bleak. As his intestines churned away, Eric was grateful, very grateful, for the grate in the center of the room and the handful of corn husks he'd found in the tray. All his basic needs were now satisfied, he was comfortable, the vampire curled tight around him with eyes half-closed as he twirled its hair around his fingers and gently massaged it.

He knew how he'd ended up here...but...how had Abraham managed to get a vampire trapped in his dungeon? Really, it was most likely just a cellar, underground storage rooms, modified with a metal door...but...it looked like a dungeon, was being used as one, and that was what he'd call it. He was a little loathe to ask the vampire anything more, but with a full stomach and a comfortable seat, and with his terror at the imprisonment turned into worry, he was going to ask some questions.

"I was wondering, and don't answer if you don't want to, but...how did you end up here?" A long pause, and then Alucard responded.

"It's a long story, and not the most pleasant to hear. Are you certain?" Reluctant, he sounded reluctant, but Eric did truly want to know.

"I understand if you don't want to share all, or even most of it, but...how did he manage to have a vampire here? Most people don't even believe they exist. Until I met you, I didn't!"

"Alright." A pause, as the vampire gathered his thoughts. "I am a monster. I was a cruel person before my death, and after, but that was long ago. Now, I was content to live in my home, far away in Eastern Europe, with three vampires I had created. We were surrounded by scattered small villages, and when hungry, we'd take a human for a meal. Rarely did we kill them, but I was their lord and whether they were willing or not was irrelevant to us. We kept away bandits and kept the wolves from their flocks and families, I could keep the worst of the winter weather from striking, and this went on for many years." A red eye rolled up as Alucard looked at him seriously. "I was, and am, a monster. I had not met any human I considered anywhere near the equal of a vampire; at best, they were livestock and sometimes no more than prey. Before I died, most of the inhabitants of those lands were viewed as my property, and I had no reason to change that viewpoint with age."

The vampire paused, and Eric thought about what he'd said. "You're telling me a great deal that would make me fear you."

"Yes, but I think we can both agree that circumstances have changed." Alucards response was matter-of-fact and spoken with a tinge of irony. Eric nodded.

"You haven't told me any specifics of where, or how long ago this was, and you had to be some sort of lord or leader?" 

"And I won't." The points of teeth gleamed in the light as the creature smirked. "In truth, it adds nothing to the tale and would likely upset you. Just know that I was a noble of Eastern Europe prior to my death." The vampire rolled its head, resting it comfortably again on the bedroll, and continued, eyes half-closed. "In time, I became aware of trains, electricity, other advances that were making their way into my area of the world. I learned of countries far beyond my knowledge, of how the world had grown, and longed to know and learn more. I ended up in England, and found a woman that I wished to turn into a bride. Such women are rare, but this one, this one was exceptional and she was willing to make the change."

A sigh, and the vampire's face twisted into an expression of sorrow and grief. "To my great dismay, she had a fiance, and friends, and was brought to the attention of our captor. He knows enough of vampires to know what was happening, even though most men believe us to be myths and stories. My new Bride was destroyed days after she rose, I was hunted, my homes and sanctuaries in England destroyed by Van Helsing and those with him. I left England, thinking to return to my home, and rest, recover, and then return to my explorations of this new world. 

"England still called to me; London is a fascinating place and I have barely touched the surface of what it offers. Van Helsing, though...I had eaten the crew of a ship, the Demeter, on my travels to England. It was not my original plan, but when circumstances brought me to their attention, I had no reservations about making meals of the crew. I had done little hunting in England, although I purchased the attentions of a few ladies of the evening and dined in that way. I didn't hurt or kill them but if they suffered from my attentions, I did not care. Humans, you were lesser creatures to me, and I feared you not. Even after being chased from England by Van Helsing, I still did not understand.

"I did not make it to my home. It was nearly within sight, and I was captured while sleeping in my coffin as my servants bore me home as fast as they could. I was injured, captured, my brides destroyed, my servants scattered, my home barred to me. Van Helsing had successfully hunted and captured a vampire, and it was as shocking to me as if a mouse had hunted and conquered a cat! I was returned to England, trapped in my coffin, and woke up strapped to a table in a lab, screaming."

Alucard stopped, eyes staring blindly ahead, shivering slightly with the memory of what had occurred. The eyes blinked twice, and then he continued.

"I do not know what they had done to me. Something binds me; I should be able to tear the door down, destroy all those who have tormented me, and leave. I cannot. When I try to use any of my abilities...they are gone. I cannot feel them, cannot reach them, and when I try, there is only pain. I was able to injure Hellsing with a thrown bottle, but when I try to bite, or grab, or slash at him, even to only growling at him...I cannot. I am helpless before him. I have learned a hard and painful lesson about humans, and my superiority has been shown to be naught but pride. And so I am here, and I suffer, and each day I faded more. I need blood, and human blood fills and heals me...but only fresh blood provides strength and power. Very rarely was the blood alive, freshly taken from a human, and you saw what I had been reduced to. That is why they put you here, expecting me to devour you and regain my strength."

Hand absent-mindedly stroking through the vampire's hair, Eric thought about what he had learned, considered the vampire in this light. A predator of humans, an admitted monster, now brought low and reduced, starved into helplessness. A sigh, and the vampire spoke again.

"I have earned the pain they have inflicted, the torment I have experienced. It is no worse, truly, than I inflicted on uncounted others both before and after my death. I did so to protect my people and enforce the rule of law...Hellsing does so to learn about vampires. Even knowing that this is a judgment on me, I cannot bear it. If you had not come, I do not know what would have become of me."

".........how many people have you killed?" Eric wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but he had to know. The weak old man had turned out to be a vampire...and that vampire had turned out to be a monster. But how much of one?

"As a human? Thousands died either by me or as my soldiers. As a nosferatu? For the first few years...hundreds. Easily hundreds. For the years before I came to England? Perhaps a dozen; bandits, murderers, those who I would have sentenced to death. On the Demeter, 21, although I had intended to eat none and simply sleep, until my coffin was opened and I was awakened. In England...I ate a trio of thieves that thought to kill me and rob my body, but no others... Lucy was changed, and Quincy was killed by my servants as they protected me. I gloried in death when I was young and new, but that has lost its appeal when it's simply a meal." Teeth gleamed as he grinned. "Now, those footpads that thought to attack me, THAT was enjoyable. But the typical human...there is no challenge, no reward, no joy in those kills." Alucard rolled onto his back, looking up at the pale and shocked face of Eric. "I am a monster; you are not. You should never have been given as a meal. I regret that you are here, and that I have clearly frightened you with my past. You are a good man, and a helpless man against me, and I would not kill you for that alone. That you have willingly helped me when I was in need...I am very far from wanting to harm or kill you now!"

Reassuring, but still horrifying. Thousands and hundreds dead, the entire crew of a ship...and he'd huddled up with it, slept by it, and all unknowing. And now...he was afraid, truly, horrified by his new knowledge, and the vampire's face fell, sorrow creeping across it, and then Alucard curled up again, burying his face in Eric's leg. 

He understood, now, more of why Abraham had captured the creature, but still, the nightly vivisections...the poor bastard. Fear left, and he returned to gently petting the vampire, soothing it. There was a startled twitch at the first touch, but after a few gentle strokes, the vampire heaved a great sigh and the tension that had filled it left, the entire body seeming to settle and melt. 

Yes, a terrifying creature had he met it before...but now, simply a fellow prisoner, suffering alongside him.

\--v---v----

Abraham knelt in the small chapel, praying. He'd felt guilt as the jailer of the monster, at controlling it and limiting it and having it as an unhappy prisoner, rather than simply destroying it. But, there had been so much to learn! And so much had been learned, and the vampire awake and aware through it. Mental images flashed in his mind, of his hands sorting through the innards, looking for a spleen, tracing the path of the great vessels, measuring and comparing organs, noting the differences in the anatomy of a vampire to a human. He'd tested every material he could think of that might be inimical to the vampire, leaving it scorched and burned and bloody, and it had been suffering. He'd not have believed it, except for the mention of the eye, and now, now the vampire's terror had an explanation. A bloody, horrifying one. And he prayed forgiveness for his unwitting torture of the damned soul he'd taken prisoner.

And...the man. He hadn't cursed at Abraham, threatened him with revenge when he became free, hadn't even hurt the vampire. Terrified, he'd been terrified, and even so he'd tried to protect the vampire, pushing it behind him when Abraham had looked through the window. He'd even willingly fed the beast, held it and soothed it. This was not the behavior of an evil and cruel man, a murderer. Had he made a mistake there, as well? Tried to send an innocent man to be eaten by a monster?

Rising to his knees, expression glum, Abraham left the chapel. Dawn was a few hours away, and there was something he NEEDED to do first. Alone, he picked up a lantern and went down the dank stairs into the little Hell he'd made for his monster.

\--v---v---

The window opened, the lamplight shone in again, and Eric and Alucard blinked towards the door. With their own lantern burning cheerfully, the bright light was not so startling or blinding. The light may not have been so surprising, but what happened next, was.

"I'm sorry. I...I truly did not know that you were aware, Alucard. I'd thought you senseless from the bullet, not simply paralyzed. I...I can't even imagine the horror. Sorry doesn't begin to help, but it's all I can offer. I made a horrible, horrible mistake, and I should have known, should have ASKED instead of just assuming you would not know." The man's voice was shuddering, breaking, and it was so surprising Alucard could only stare at him in shock. The man was apologizing? For hurting a monster?

"I wanted to learn about vampires, and how to keep them safe, and after I captured you...I didn't really think, I was too concerned with what I'd learned to see how it was affecting you. I knew you were miserable, and I saw how frightened you were, and I never asked. I...I can't ask your forgiveness, this is unforgivable...but I will swear that it won't happen again. Not even a monster deserves that." A sigh, deep and troubled. "I don't know what else I made an assumption about, where else I have failed to be a responsible, respectful jailer. That needs to change, now. I won't be letting you out of there to resume your predations...but...what allowances, changes, can I make?"

The man's remorse seemed heartfelt and authentic, and it was difficult for Alucard to balance that with his experiences. It may be just another attempt to manipulate him, but...after several minutes of silent thought, he couldn't see how. Before Abraham could leave, he spoke to him. It may well have been the first conversation they'd had, and it had begun to raise his hopes a bit. He didn't trust the man...but...he could ask?

"Lonely. It is breaking me, to be alone. No one here to talk to, no one to touch me or be touched, no conversation, not even the sight of someone until the door opens. Only dark, and silence, and...nothing. I...don't leave me alone again, please!" The vampire's voice was pleading, and Abraham cringed inside, realizing that perhaps being alone in the cell wasn't the respite he'd thought, but another source of suffering. Vampires could be lonely??? Well...it had lived with three other vampires, and had found Lucy immediately after coming to London, so...yes. He should have realized that.

"I'm so sorry. I knew you hadn't been alone, and I will make sure that you have a visitor every night. I won't do that to you again. What...what else?

"Blood? It must be living blood, so fresh as to be warm, or it gives no energy. I was starved," and Abraham could see the vampire shiver, "warm bodies all around me, and I starved. It was a torment...please, please, blood, I could feel myself weakening, becoming vulnerable, helpless, and so hungry." The vampire broke off, and as Abraham watched, it turned again to the man, leaning on him and burying its face in his chest. The man rubbed gentle circles on its back...and Abraham could only stare. He'd never have pictured a vampire doing this, had no idea...and that the man would soothe it? How wrong could he have been?

"Yes, yes, I will feed you, fresh, yes." Abraham reassured him, then watched a bit more. Alucard seemed to have no interest in telling him more at this time, or simply had not the ability. "Is there anything you need between now and tomorrow night?" 

The vampire's grip on the man's shirt became tighter, and he spoke cautiously, hopefully, but as though he did not expect this to be granted. "My coffin?"

"Certainly." Abraham flinched inside as he saw the vampire's eyes open wide in surprise and shock. Clearly he hadn't thought that this would happen, but it would...and immediately. "Anything else? I know it doesn't begin to make up for what has happened, but what can I provide?"

The man bent his head down, whispering something to the vampire. The vampire tilted his head and responded, but they were much too far away for Abraham to hear anything. 

"Light. Wicks, oil, candles, lanterns...something to keep the dark away." Abraham frowned slightly; this was more likely to be a request by the murderer than by the vampire, but...the poor man had spent several days terrified and starved, and he wasn't going to deny him the simple comfort of light.

"Alright...give me a bit, and I'll do what I can for tonight." Abraham stepped away, calling for assistance as he went up the stairs.

It was with a shocked stare and gasp that the vampire realized that his coffin was outside the door, waiting. Abraham ordered him to the back wall, and he obeyed, practically quivering as he stared at the door, absolutely focused on the coffin behind it. The door opened, and the coffin was brought in and placed just inside the room. Alucard whined, absolutely tense and eyes riveted on the coffin. Noticing this, Abraham hurried. He'd planned to explain what he had brought, but with the vampire acting as it was, he wasn't cruel enough to drag it out. Instead, he reached through the door, grabbed a lumpy burlap bag, pulled it into the room, and grabbed the arms of the two men that had carried in the coffin. They were pulled through the door, and as soon as it clanged shut?

Alucard was gone in a flash, and Eric could only stare as the lid settled with a quiet thump, leaving him alone in the room. While the door was closed, the small window opened, and Abraham spoke to him again.

"I've brought some of what you requested. Plenty of oil and a fresh wick, a second lantern, I have a few more meals' worth of food in there and some sanitary necessities, another canteen of water. Please put any empty containers by the door in the future and I'll take them. I don't know how long you'll be here, so I put in a deck of playing cards." By his tone, the man was less concerned for Eric...but considering what the vampire had been through, Eric considered that to be fair, really. The window grated as it was shut, and then the sound of locks showed that their reprieve and company was over.

Opening the sack, Eric was surprised and pleased with what he found. A year ago, it would have seemed plain and cheap...but months of prison food and most of a week of being underfed, and he wasn't going to complain. A few napkins, a battered fork and dented spoon. Dried jerky, bread, some hard rolls, a slab of cheese. More apples. Some carrots, washed. Three more baked potatoes, a chunk of butter. Two drumsticks, larger than from a chicken...a small turkey, perhaps. A small pot of jam. Jam! Sweets, he hadn't had anything sweet in so long, and he couldn't resist opening it and scooping out a spoonful, blissful at the sweet taste as it melted on his tongue. At the bottom, a bit of rough and lumpy fabric. Pulling it out, he was pleased to discover an old and worn washing cloth, and a sliver of soap. 

Washing would have to wait. He'd been too thirsty too long to risk using water he'd regret later. Two full canteens, and food enough for a full day. Grabbing a carrot and sticking it in his mouth, he looked through the rest of the sack. The crunchy sweetness of a carrot was something he'd missed...how long had it been since he'd had one? Digging around, yes, another small lantern. A full box of matches, two tins of oil, a bundle of wicks. The "sanitary necessities" were another bundle of corn husks. And...the deck of cards.

A glance at the coffin, and, well, Eric had to admit to some curiousity. What was the vampire doing? Surely not sleeping again? Eric grabbed the lid and lifted it slightly, intending to peep inside, and was startled by an absolutely vicious snarl! The lid dropped as he stumbled backward, landing heavily to sit and stare at the coffin.

ALUCARD had made that sound? It lifted every hair on his neck and made his heart race! It had sounded as though he were every bit the bloodthirsty murderous monster he'd described himself as, and there was no way anyone could force Eric to open that coffin!

Calming, he grabbed the cards and moved to the bedroll. A game of solitaire, and another, and he was still keeping a cautious eye on the coffin. A few hours of silence later, and he was tired enough to sleep. Keeping a cautious eye on the coffin, Eric turned the lamp to a low glow and settled himself on the bedroll. With a full stomach, and far less fear of what had happened to him and would happen in the future, Eric drifted off to sleep.

\---v---v--

Well...maybe four chapters?


	4. Maslow's Hierarchy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When their needs are met, and they are safe, sheltered, and fed...things change!

Eric woke slowly. He was warm, and although his bladder was full, there was otherwise comfort. No hunger pangs other than the normal ready-for-breakfast ones. No sore joints from the cold, or aching bruises from the hard floor. The lantern still burned, wick turned low to give it a soft glow. Yawning, he pushed the blankets off, glancing over to see the coffin still closed. The blankets didn't move as easily as he expected, and he turned to find the vampire stretched behind him. The red eyes blinked calmly at him as he yelped and jerked out of the blankets to sprawl on the floor, half-out of his bedroll. 

He yawned, and with a sour look the vampire followed suit a moment later, long tongue arching out like a cat's and fangs bared. 

"One of the few human traits vampires retain...contagious yawning." Alucard said sourly. "You are waking with good timing; the sun set not long ago, and we have the night ahead of us. I rested last night until dawn, and slept the night in my coffin. And..." the vampire looked slightly embarrassed at this, "I do apologize for startling you. We are...touchy..about our coffins. It's very difficult for me to let anyone touch it and if it weren't for whatever control Hellsing has, I'd have ripped them apart whenever he and his men dared lay a finger on it. In our coffins is also when we're most vulnerable, same as a sleeping human, and we are...defensive, to put it nicely. Every few decades a thief would try their luck robbing a noble crypt, or a young man on a dare would make the very fatal mistake of trying to peek inside. In any other situation, you would have been a welcome meal, but I value your company and would never do so to you. The fright...was not intentional...but please, do not touch it again. Our coffins are vital to our continued well-being. I was in a far worse condition than when you met me, having gone without it for weeks. Hellsing knows we need our coffins and in an attempt to reverse the effects of starvation, had placed me in it for several days. Any vampire will react badly to something so valuable having a human's hands all over it, and after being without, well, I do apologize. My reaction was far beyond what was deserved, and I truly have no excuse."

Eric thought about it, then gave the vampire a crooked smile. "I dunno. I'd say the current situation is an excellent excuse, and I'll admit you scared the living soul out of me! It was a very long time before I fell asleep." With a nod to the vampire, Eric brightened the lamp, bringing the room a comfortable glow. He went to use the grate, slightly jealous of the vampire's apparent lack of need to handle bodily functions, and deeply missing a toothbrush and the chance to wash up before eating. It wasn't long before he was slathering the jam on the rolls and eating a meal. Alucard sat across from him, back leaning casually on the wall, legs crossed at the ankles, the very picture of relaxation until the window on the door suddenly creaked and slammed open.

When Abraham looked in a moment later, it was to see Eric coughing on roll crumbs and Alucard in the corner, looking terrified. Fangs were bared, eyes were huge, and he was crammed as far into the corner as he could. 

\--v--v--

Abraham mentally kicked himself. For too long, they'd opened the window to shoot at the vampire, and if he wasn't within view, they'd have immediately come in the door to do so. His behavior now was no different from his behavior the last few months...and knowing what he had done to the vampire, he was answerable for that clear terror and panic.

"Alucard, it's alright," no, not it was not alright, he'd terrified the beast, he wanted to question it, but that didn't look possible any time soon and it was his fault. He'd put on slippers, thick and comfortable with well-padded soles, and the vampire must have been distracted, too...and he'd taken them by surprise. "You will stay there tonight. Nothing will happen to you." Voice calm, steady, soothing, and it only led to a hiss from the shivering vampire. Abraham glanced over at Eric, somewhat prepared to see him looking annoyed at the vampire. He was a murderer and a cruel man, after all...empathy was not to be expected. Instead, he saw Eric taking a drink from the canteen to quiet his cough, then moving immediately over the the vampire.

With the man's back to him, shielding Alucard from his view and keeping Alucard from seeing him at the window, he wasn't sure what was happening. Eric was speaking quietly, a gentle murmur, vampire hidden behind his bulk. 

\---v---v----

"Shhhh....shhhh.... tonight is different. Tonight is safe. Safe." A steady, repeated murmur as Eric crouched in front of the traumatized creature. No references, no words, to bring up what Alucard had experienced, just a constant reassurring stream of words reassurring Alucard that he was, tonight, safe. It took several minutes, but the red eyes finally turned to look at him instead of through him, the shaking eased, and the vampire absolutely wilted. 

"Wait, just one moment." A gentle brush of his hand across the vampire's hair, and Eric stood, moving quickly to fetch a blanket and drape it over the vampire. Thin white hands pulled it tight, the only part of the vampire visible, and Eric settled down beside it. A few moments more, and with a soft groan, the vampire slumped against him. Eric rubbed gentle circles on his back, and as Abraham watched this strange interaction over several minutes, the vampire eventually sat up. The blanket was pulled off his face, and he gave a worried glance at the door, then settled firmly against Eric, pressed up under his arm, cautious eyes flicking to and from the window. Eric scowled up at the window, irritated that Hellsing had yet again created fear in Alucard, once again through carelessness and thoughtlessness.

\---v---v---

Abraham just stared. Clearly, the man was very comfortable around the vampire, and considered the vampire to not be a threat. The vampire which, a week ago, he would have sworn was going to rip into and devour the man. And...why did the vampire trust the man? He was a murderer, a violent killer, and yet the vampire relaxed against him and trusted him. He'd planned to speak with the vampire, something he hadn't done until these last days, only ever giving orders and threats, ignoring any pleas and cries the beast had made. With this terrible start to their night, that...that was not going to happen. With a sigh, Abraham prepared to apologize (to a vampire and a murderer?) and leave them.

"I am once again sorry. I had no intention of surprising you, and never thought that with slippers on and a human with you, you might not notice my approach. I had intended to provide a few more supplies, and speak with you, trying to determine a path forward. Instead, I startled you both through my thoughtlessness. I'll leave you for now, and return in a few hours...and I'll make sure to make some noise so that you know I'm coming." With that, Abraham gave them one last look, a long sigh, and stepped back, preparing to close the window.

\--v--v--

Alucard looked up at the human with him. The man had taken a breath as though to speak with Abraham, then glanced at Alucard and held his tongue instead. It didn't take much thought to realize that Eric probably needed something, or had a question, and had refrained from asking it for the sake of the vampire. What an odd human. 

"It's alright, speak to him." Alucard murmured. "I don't mind." In truth, he did...but...he owed the human and needed to stay on his good side. It was Eric's presence that was keeping him stable, alert, and thinking rather than a reactive frightened beast. Eric glanced at him questioningly, and with a slight nod, Alucard encouraged him to speak.

"One moment, please." Abraham heard him speak, and moved back to the window, now visible and peering at him curiously. "I very much appreciate the soap, but there isn't much water and I don't want to use it to simply wash up. I'd rather be dirty than thirsty. I'd be grateful for enough water to clean with, without worrying about using water that I need." The man's expression was uncertain, as if he expected to be ignored again or have his request refused. No, no, he'd bring the man a bucket of water. Vampires had much more sensitive noses than a human, and the man had to reek. While he didn't much care about the human's comfort, there wasn't much reason to refuse him the water.

"I'll be down again later, and I'll have your water and some blood as well. I'll need you to push the empty bottles, canteens, and such under the door at that time." Not wanting to speak to the man any further, Abraham slid the window shut and bolted it. He owed the man for calming his vampire down, and he'd bring him water, but had no interest in speaking with a murderer who'd killed his own children.

\---v----v-----

Time passed. Eric finished eating a small meal, saving back a roll, a bit of butter to smear on it, the end of the loaf, and the cheese for a later meal. He was still hungry and could easily finish off what food remained, but there was no guarantee he'd be fed soon or well, and rationing out his food was a must. He'd meant to save some of the dried meat, but hunger had won out. He'd made a meal of what was brought, then a small supper, and a small breakfast now, and he'd stretch it out to a fourth meal. Likewise, with his water, he kept a full canteen back. He'd LIKE to drink more, but he'd rather be a little thirsty now than parched later.

Once done with his meal, there simply wasn't much left to do. He'd wiped off the silverware with a napkin, put the empty water bottles and such close to the door, refilled the lamp. Lighting two lamps would have been nice, he'd have appreciated the extra light. One lamp was enough, but the room was still dim. The brightness of two burning lamps was tempting, and would be comforting...but....instead, he turned down the wick, dimming the light. Blankets were shaken out and folded neatly, the bedroll rolled up to make a small but soft seat. Alucard had watched quietly as he tidied, but perked up with interest when Eric pulled out the cards.

"It has been a very, very long time since I played cards with anyone. Since I played any game with a human, truly, that didn't involve them as a meal. And...I would like to. I suspect the card games have changed much, and I couldn't remember the rules to Grobhausern if I had to...and that's the only game I can recall. Would you share your cards with me and entertain me with a game?" Alucard looked at him hopefully. He was used to mindless boredom on the nights he'd had a reprieve, and terror and pain on the others. Left to himself, he'd have too many bad memories to think on. A card game could be a very good means to pass the time and get to know his fellow prisoner.

He wanted to play cards? A surprise but a pleasant one. Even with all the varieties of solitaire games available...it still got old and boring. Teaching games and playing games would be an excellent means to pass the time.

"I would enjoy that. Have you ever heard of Faro?" With a smile, Eric launched into a lesson on gambling. It was difficult without having anything to count with; there were not even pebbles in the cell with them. Even so, they passed an enjoyable few hours placing bids and bluffing. Alucard had a terrible advantage in being able to hear Eric's heart...it would speed up when he had a good hand. Eric, however, had a lot more experience in the game, and overall they were a good challenge for each other. 

They were halfway through a lesson on how to play solitaire (Alucard had wanted to know what games Eric played as he slept) when they heard a muffled creak and bang, then the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Heavy, very audible footsteps. Eric glanced from the door to Alucard, seeing the vampire pulling on on himself, worried eyes on the door.

"He said he'd bring blood and water, that's all. It's okay, that's all that's happening." Eric gently reminded the vampire, and while Alucard still gave the door doubtful glances, he stayed by Eric instead of moving to the corner. With a frown, Eric turned up the lamp. The room was dim, and he didn't want to be at a disadvantage, unable to clearly see what was happening. The footsteps stopped, and a knock was heard on the window. 

"I've brought what you requested. Both of you, move to the back wall, sit down, and stay in sight. Alucard, that's an order. Stay at the back wall, keep him beside you." Grumbling, Alucard wrapped a cold hand around Eric's arm, and pulled him back to the wall. As the door opened, the grip became painfully tight, only relaxing when the first thing through the door was an arm holding a bucket, instead of a gun. Muttering the hallway; Eric couldn't hear it, but the vampire could, and Alucard sat up straighter, eyes fixed on the door. Two more bottles of blood were placed just inside it, near the bucket. A second bucket arrived, and another pair of canteens. Their own canteens and bottles were quickly scooped up, the young man who grabbed them keeping a careful eye on the vampire and moving quickly. Another burlap bag, and the door clicked shut. Abraham appeared in the window again, his eyes glancing in to check on their positions, and then bolts clicked into place. 

"I have several questions for you. I'll be back within the next couple of hours." The window slid shut too, the rasp of the bolts ending with a final thud, and then Alucard was up and across the room, scooping up the bottles. Eric was shocked to hear what sounded like a brief purr, and then one of the bottles was open and being gulped down. With the brighter light, it was easy to see that it was blood being sucked down so rapidly, and Eric had to quickly glance away, nauseated. It wasn't so bad when he couldn't see what was happening, but watching Alucard clearly enjoying drinking human blood was a bit much in the bright light.

Instead, he moved to the bag, looking inside it to see a pleasing amount of food. Much the same as last time; cheese, butter, rolls, a small jar of honey instead of jam, half a loaf of bread, and a large chunk of ham. Radishes, looking thin and tough but with thick fresh leaves on them, potatoes again, and a well-wrapped heavy package that turned out to be a small crock of stew, lid held on tightly by the towel wrapped around it. More lamp oil; they'd burned most of one can, hoarding what they had and not lighting the second lamp. Well, that was going to change now. What was more unexpected was the comb and toothbrush and a larger sliver of soap. No razor or scissors, and Eric couldn't fault the man for that, but enough items to get thoroughly cleaned and even the towel that had served double-duty around the stew.

Grabbing his spoon, Eric made short work of the still-warm stew. Thick with vegetables and a rich brown broth, small bits of sausage mixed in, it was spicey, warming, and filling. Far better food than he'd expected, a dish that was fit to be served on a table instead of the swill normally given to a prisoner. As he ate, Alucard leaned on the wall, second bottle half-empty and idly swinging in his hand, patiently waiting and watching curiously. Eric supposed it made sense...the vampire probably hadn't shared many meals with a person before. The stew filled him nicely, finishing up the empty corners left by his meager breakfast. The stew was followed by a swig of water, and then Eric wasn't going to delay any longer on the bath he'd been longing for for months.

Alucard's clothes and his were a lost cause, both grimy and filthy. If he got another bath, those would be cleaned too...but for now, both those buckets would be needed just to get his body sufficiently clean. 

"I'm going to get myself cleaned up, this may take a bit." Alucard simply shrugged; he didn't care one way or the other, as long as he had someone with him. Instead, the vampire grabbed the cards and headed over to the blankets. Eric filled and lit a second lamp, so he could see the dirt and filth on his body easier, and began. A wet cloth run over his body, water worked into his hair. A thorough scrubbing with the soap, all through his hair and down to his toes. Every crevice on his body was filled with sticky grey lines of dirt, and he scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. His back was last, hardest to reach, and as he struggled to get it clean with the small cloth, he was shocked to have it plucked out of his hand. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Alucard preparing to wash his back! Well, he wasn't going to pass that help up, and it was with gratitude that Eric felt his back getting a thorough scrubbing. The first bucket was empty, and the second bucket waiting. The water had been pleasantly warm, a surprise that he'd appreciated in the chill room!

Using the empty stew container to scoop up the water, it was time to get the soap off. Rinsing... starting at the hair, and in the light, he could SEE the brown bubbles running down his body as a result! Add a little water, work up the lather a bit more, squeeze it out, add a bit more. While he could use the water in the canteens if he needed to, Eric was reluctant to do so and would get every bit of soap off that he could using the buckets provided. To his surprise, Alucard again helped him; pouring in a bit of water, working it through, pressing it out, and repeating. His back was rinsed, too, and then the vampire left him to do the remainder, wandering back to the card game.

It was so nice to be clean, and having the unexpected help had let him get the last bit of filth off his body. The brush took a great deal of yanking and tearing through tangles, but his hair was finally smooth and clean. He longed for some toothpaste or even some old-fashioned tooth powder, but nevertheless it felt so good to scrape off the coating on his teeth with the toothbrush. Finally clean, Eric gave the clothes an offended look. He'd been wearing them since the first day of his imprisonment, and to say he was reluctant to put them back on was an understatement. For now, he was going to wrap up in the blankets and keep clean a little bit longer. A few minutes later, and he was cocooned up in them, his own head now resting on the vampire's lap as he watched Alucard play round after round of solitaire.

The quiet relaxation was ended with the sound of the creaking door and steps again. Abraham knocked, opened the window, and was greeted with the site of his two prisoners once again comfortable with each other...and his vampire playing cards!

\-------v------v------------

I'm procrastinating, so you're getting a long story :D Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Knowledge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance to question his vampire and prisoner and observe their interactions leads to a change in their situation and Abraham's plans.

Upon seeing him, both his prisoners straightened up, with the blanket falling off the shoulder of the human one. Was he not wearing any clothes? He certainly looked better, skin pink from scrubbing instead of gray and hair smooth rather than a tangled mass. Both of them watched him, distrust obvious, and Abraham could only hope they'd cooperate.

"I have some questions for you both. I know you have no reason to cooperate other than what I can provide for you. Therefore, I propose a trade. Honest and full answers from you, and I'll provide more amenities. While I had no intention of a human prisoner, having you there is beneficial to my vampire, and until he eats you I will keep you alive. How comfortable you are will depend on your cooperation and usefulness." Abraham hated making this combination of bribes and threats, but, well, he was dealing with a murderer and a monster. He could bank on their self-interest, not their cooperativeness or willingness.

"And if you ask a question we don't want to answer?" The vampire hadn't spoken, still spooked by his prescence, and Abraham could only hope he'd calm down soon. The man, though, was eyeing him with suspicion and frankly Abraham didn't have that much use for him except as a source of information on the vampire. And told him so.

"You are only useful as a way to provide information about my vampire and to keep him company. Bear that in mind during my questions." Eyes narrowed, the man gave him a shallow nod of acceptance. Not happy, but then...Abraham really couldn't force himself to care overmuch for the happiness of a murderer. "Alucard, are you prepared to answer questions, or do you need a few moments." Red eyes weighed this decision. The vampire didn't want to cooperate, but having his coffin and fresh blood and a companion was reminding him of all the things he was missing. Abraham watched the wheels turn in the vampire's head, and then Alucard, too, gave a short nod of acceptance before scooting closer to the man. Still seated, but touching all along the side of his body. Odd, that vampires were so tactile, so willing to touch. 

"I have quite a few questions, but I'm going to start with the one that your behavior has made me curious about already this evening. Are vampires typically inclined to socialize with humans?" The vampire shifted, weighing his answer, before responding.

"Not...to this extent. We prefer the company of other vampires, but we do need companionship. We may hunt by ourselves and stay apart much of the time, but no vampire wants to be alone completely. It is normal to at least speak with another vampire, or at least a human, every few days. I did not truly realize how necessary that companionship was until it was not present. A compatible vampire would be best, but I have no complaints about my current companion." Good, the vampire was starting to relax, no longer so closely welded to the man, but sitting more upright.

"I have seen that you touch each other, casually but consistently. Is this also typical of a vampire?" He'd never have thought a vampire would welcome the touch of a human, much less the fairly extensive leaning and petting he'd observed.

"I...do not know. I have never wanted this much contact, not even as a human, but the occasional brief touch or interaction is not unusual." Was this change the result of captivity, or how he'd suffered, or loneliness? He longed to ask Mina, as she'd had far more contact with the vampire than anyone else, but after what she'd experienced, he was never going to be so callous as to ask her. Was it perhaps the human himself? Kindred blood-soaked souls recognizing each other?

"Is this level of comfort something you would expect with any human, or is it specific to him?" Comfort, indeed...the vampire had realized Abraham had no intention of coming into the room, and was leaning comfortably against the wall, legs stretched in front of him. His human prisoner remained wrapped up in the blankets, but also leaned against the wall, only toes and head visible, with barely any space between the two prisoners.

"I would have sought an interaction with any human, but for many it would have been brief and ended in a meal. Eric is unexpectedly kind and quiet and interactions with him are far more pleasant than with most humans. Had he been a cruel person, or selfish, I would almost certainly be alone again." Kind? A murderer was kind? Perhaps he was simply sly enough to be gentle around the vampire, hiding his true colors until he deemed it safe to return to his murdering ways.

"He is kind and quiet? What would you do if you were to find that he was not kind at all, but a violent murderer?" Abraham almost regretted asking that, realizing as soon as he asked that it might disrupt the camaraderie he was seeing form.

"I KNOW that he is kind. It is not a concern." A faint touch of annoyance in the vampire's voice, not welcome but far better than the fear he'd expressed previously. 

"And how would you know this, after only a few days together in a single room? He's been kind to you, but you are quite capable of killing him and that is going to influence his actions." Pushing on this might backfire spectacularly, but the vampire seemed quite certain and Abraham knew that he was misinformed, to say the least.

"He fed me his blood, willingly. Blood carries part of the soul with it, it is the currency of life, and tells me all I would need to know. His blood tells me, quite clearly, that he is a good man." The eyes glowed redder, the vampire's emotions showing. "A good man, that you attempted to feed to a vampire. That spent days underfed, thirsty, and frightened in the dark. And if he hadn't been brave enough to share his blood with me, I would have eaten him by now, and alone again." The vampire was almost snarling at the end. Abraham's mind, though, was swirling.

He'd seen how the man interacted with the vampire, the care and concern he'd shown. He had never been violent or threatened revenge of any kind for being placed in a dungeon. He'd been only frightened, and that...that was not what Abraham would have expected. He'd already wondered at the character of the man, and the vampire had nearly confirmed it. But...the man was a murderer.

"Vampire...he is a murderer. Killed his own wife and two small children. That is how he ended up in the prison, and to be selected as a meal for you. He has been convicted of murder, and...he...is not a good person. Not always." The vampire's face showed his scorn of that statement.

"Being convicted of a crime is not the same as doing a crime. And I assure you, blood does not lie. He could no more have murdered three people without feeling guilt than he could sprout wings and fly. Your courts may say otherwise, but this is not something I could be deceived on. Even the least of vampires would recognize this, and I am far from the least. He is a good man." Had he truly taken an innocent man from the jail? And then...he'd bought the man like cattle, and attempted to feed him to a vampire, provided a minimum of food and water for days, kept him imprisoned in a dungeon? If so...his own soul must surely be black by now. The vampire seemed unshakeably certain of this fact, and... honestly... it matched what he himself had observed in their few interactions.

"How, then, was he convicted?" He wanted to ask the man but truly could not remember his name...he'd not paid any attention to it, thinking it irrelevant for someone with such a short expected lifespan and that he would not interact with. The name thoroughly escaped him. "Man, how did you come to be convicted if you are innocent?" He did want to hear this story, both to judge its veracity for himself and because, if the man was innocent...a murderer was still roaming London.

"I had no alibi. My wife and daughters were inside, and I was outside the house. I was hammering, moving wood, other activities that were too loud or too far from the house to hear what was happening inside. When I came in, I found them all dead. My oldest daughter, she'd run for the door, I think, killed right inside it, and my wife," the man paused, silent for several minutes as the time ticked by, pulling himself together after what had to be a tortuous memory. "She was in the kitchen, strangled, my youngest child, barely walking, dead with her. I...I ran for help, I thought maybe she was still alive, a doctor might save her, something, anything. I wasn't thinking, wasn't able to speak and explain what had happened, and I failed her. Instead of looking for the murderer...they took me. I must have looked like a lunatic, but it was most of a day before I recovered enough to try and speak and tell what had happened. But a day was more time than they needed to decide that it had to have been me, and give the true killer time to be forgotten." The man was crying now, tears openly streaming down his face, a silent statement of true grief.

And the vampire...the vampire reached an arm around him, and pulled him closer, holding the grieving widow and father, and with a gentleness Abraham would never have credited it with. Abraham stared blankly at them; all that he thought he knew was wrong. The monster was more than a mere monster, with feelings and reactions he would never have credited it with. The man? Not a cold-blooded murderer, but a victim, grieving and miserable, with a kind heart. Alucard was murmuring something to the man, too soft for Abraham to make out the words, and the man's shoulders shook with grief as he reached out and held the vampire tightly. Bringing such sorrow to the man was only another black mark on a soul that was already possibly beyond redemption. He'd leave them now, come back tomorrow when the poor man had enough time to pull himself together again.

"I am sorry to bring up such a memory. My trust in our police and courts was sadly misplaced, and you have suffered enough. I...I will bring you a few more things." Clothes, perhaps. The shifting blankets had shown that there was little to nothing under them, and the man's clothes had been little more than rags to begin with. The vampire's had been no better. Warm clothes, that was the least he could do tonight. And...yes. His hands plucked the clean handkerchief from his pocket. "I have a handkerchief here, I'll drop it by the door if you would like to pick it up. I'll return before dawn, and...I'll try to make up for the wrong I've done." With that, Abraham pushed the white square through the flap of the door, bolted it, and left. Even if the man was innocent, the vampire was a vampire and he could not drop his guard if he wanted to keep the rest of his household, and himself, safe.

Going upstairs, he immediately threw open his wardrobe. The man was slightly larger than he was, but the muscle he looked to have had previously had melted away with the confinement. The clothes might be a bit short but would fit. A warm knitted sweater, a soft undershirt, underclothes, an old and worn but warm pair of pants. Socks, he could provide...but...he had no idea what to provide for footwear. And then he saw the warm slippers he'd worn when he'd accidentally startled them. They would likely fit even if the man's feet were a bit larger than his own. For the vampire...it didn't need clothes that were warm, not like a human, but it was a former noble and dressing it in another set of rags would not lessen its animosity towards him. Finer clothes were warranted, and one of his own pairs of pants with a belt, for the creature was far more slender, and a decent white shirt. Not fancy, no, but clothes he'd worn about the house himself. Underthings...the vampire might want them, but with its lack of sweat and bodily functions, they weren't necessary. 

Now...what else? A true bed this time, not the thin bedroll he'd kept from his adventures in the Romania woods. Not a frame, he wouldn't trust the vampire to not find a way to hurt him if given access to that much potential pointy stakes and spears! But a decent mattress, yes. Pillow, too. A chamber pot? No, there was already an opening to the sewer, and it would be difficult to clean. Best to leave that as it was. More water, perhaps? The vampire was no cleaner than the man. And the hair... he did have a tiny pair of scissors. Made for minor grooming while traveling, they were dwarfed by his hands and difficult to use, but they were equally difficult for the vampire to turn into a weapon. Something to drink other than water, that would certainly be appreciated. So... better bedding, clothes, a chance to clean themselves up more than they had and to do a bit of grooming. More food, and perhaps watered beer. Yes. And...the cards were being used by both of them. Had the vampire been bored? He would never have thought of it as at all interested in a human game, but, there it was. His chess set was fine and well-carved, very expensive and an inheritance, he would not send that down into a cold stone room. But, checkers, yes, and a backgammon game. 

It took time to gather supplies, to find a suitable mattress and bring it to the hallway near the stairs, to pack the supplies, to fill more buckets (he really should have brought the others up, and he'd be retrieving them now), find a few bottles of beer, and even a small slice of rum cake left from yesterday's tea. It took additional time to locate his two assistants and extra to carry the pile of items and mattress downstairs, and to make sure , was armed. The vampire was not what he expected, but it was still a vampire and caution was very warranted.

Opening the window, he saw the man lying down on the bedroll, back to the door. He had hurt the man so, forcing him to speak of what had happened. The vampire was seated at the man's head, card game on the floor beside him, and he looked up at Abraham, his expression best described as warning. His vampire...protective of a human? Well, he'd be quiet. With a whispered "Stay where you are." Abraham set about opening the door as quietly as he could. 

"Be quick but be silent. Stay near the door, make sure your guns are accessible." His normal assistants knew this, but there were two additional people and they would be potential victims. Abraham eased the bolts back, pushing the door slowly, wincing at the creaks and pops of its hingest. "Place them against the wall here...pick up the buckets and any empty bottles or canteens and leave, quickly. Stay near the door." The men shuffled in, setting the mattress against the wall before backing out, eyes on the vampire the entire time. The two additional people, the stableman's son and the butler, eased in with the bag of clothing and the basket of supplies, and Abraham leaned in to drop the pillow on top. The vampire hadn't moved a bit, but the expression on his face was not pleased, and from the slight shift in his position, he was protective of the man. Well, they would hurry.

It was barely more than a minute, and the door was being pulled slowly and carefully shut, then locked. A glance through the window, and the vampire was eyeing the pile of items with a look that was somewhere between suspicious and puzzled. Well, it was all he could do for them tonight. He needed his sleep, and he and his assistants had shifted their lives to a more nocturnal rhythm and yet were ready for bed. The other two fellows had to be even more tired! With a quiet "Thank you." Abraham dismissed them and took himself to bed. 

Tired as he was, it was difficult to sleep. His emotions and thoughts were rolling, and guilt predominated. Well, he'd take tomorrow and follow up on the court case that had landed the man in his basement. Perhaps there was something he could do about it.


	6. Hope

The butler escorted Abraham into the judge's study. Paneled with dark wood, shelves filled with legal texts, understated chairs and an enormous desk, it looked every bit like he would have expected. The judge was semi-retired and an old friend of Abraham, and had agreed to meet with him immediately upon receiving the request. Abraham's servant had returned promptly with the note inviting him to visit. It was unexpected that the judge would see him so quickly, friend or not, but Abraham was going to simply appreciate his good fortune. After a quick lunch, he'd taken a horse and arrived at the house...and now...he'd do what he could for the prisoner, Eric Smith. 

"I do thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Pleasant greetings were exchanged, and each of them was seated in an armchair with a drink. "I am not sure how to approach this matter or who to speak with, but there is a prisoner on death row that I have found very good evidence is innocent of the crime he was convicted of. I can't explain how I have this information, but I also don't want to let an innocent man die and a murderer loose to take more victims."

"You are certain?" The judge was understandably surprised, but he'd known Abraham long enough to recognize him as an upright and honest man. 

"Very. I have a witness that is not willing to speak in a court" well, not able, he wasn't taking the vampire out of that room any time soon, "but, knowing that he is innocent, what can I do?" The judge pondered a moment, rolling a pen idly between his fingers. 

"The case will need to be re-opened. Difficult without additional evidence, but possible, and another reasonable suspect located. Without a witness willing to speak, there isn't much of another way open to this. Without that evidence, your appeal would be thrown out. Approaching it from the other angle, though, if you can find the guilty party, would work. What is the name of the convict you have found to be innocent, and tell me the story behind this."

"His name is Eric Smith. All I have is what he's told to me. He was working in his yard, and his wife and children were murdered in the house. He didn't hear anything. When he went inside and found them, I gather he was not the most reasonable of men, disarmed by grief. With them inside and him at home, he was convicted. I don't know how the case was handled, or what else has happened."

"I can get those records and will review the case myself. When was he convicted? Do you know where the case was tried?" 

"Within the last few months, he was awaiting execution but it had not yet happened. I believe it was in Lewisham, on the outskirts. If I find information otherwise I'll send it immediately. Thank you very much for your assistance, I was at a loss even where to begin! I'm not terribly familiar with the English justice system, as I've never interacted with it."

"It will do me good to have something interesting to look at rather than petty theft and horse thievery. If justice went awry, it is in my interests as well to find out how that happened and pursue a solution."

After this, the discussion dissolved into small talk, two old friends catching up on each other's lives, but Abraham felt the need to leave earlier than socially acceptable. He had a vampire and a prisoner to check on, and by late afternoon the man was likely to be up if he was falling asleep at the same time as Alucard. Making his excuses, he hurried home, anxious to check on the man.

His worries were justified. He'd grabbed paper and pencil, and gone down stairs immediately. The window was opened to show the man pacing, cards and board games open, and the remains of a meal laid out on a napkin. He'd need to get another day of meals together for the man. He was a large man, one reason Abraham had plucked him away, as well as having donated blood to the vampire. More food was a necessity, as the empty honey jar and crumbs attested. 

"Eric?" The man had stopped pacing, turning to watch the door instead. Abraham didn't miss the quick glance at the coffin or the tension in his shoulders; his prisoner was not very comfortable talking to him without having the vampire present. Such an odd situation, that the vampire was trusted and not himself. In light of all his terrible mistakes and mistreatment, he had to admit to himself that this was not surprising, not even unexpected. "Eric, I went to see a judge today, and he's going to look over your case. I need to find a suspect...who do you think may have done it? I'm sorry to be asking this and I know it's going to be hard on you...but I'd like to have that information available to send to the judge tonight if we can. There may be some hope, after all, to catch the actual murderer and clear your name."

\---v--v---

Eric gave him a long look. He'd learned not to hope; he'd given himself one last chance to do that when he'd first met Hellsing, and look where that had landed him...planned as dinner to a monster. He was tired, so tired of fighting this, of no one listening, of the constant sorrow, the threat of death, worn from the stresses of the last month and...did he really want to do this? Go through it all again, get his hopes up, only to have them dashed another time? But he owed it to his wife and children to see their murderer dancing at the end of a hangman's rope, and finally, finally, someone was listening to him.

"Our neighbor, the tanner, I am almost certain it was him. He lives only two houses away, and passes by our house on his way to work. He made Helen nervous, she said he was always watching 'er when he went by if he saw her outside, said she even stopped working in the kitchen during the time he was going to work. The kitchen had a window facing the street, you see, and he could see her at work. I never saw him, being at work myself, but he worried Helen, she said something was not right. And he didn't like kids. Last year they were rolling hoops in the road and one of the youngest boys accidentally ran into him. He fetched a cuff upside the poor lad's head to make him dizzy, and I and the mother watching them both went after him for it. He never did apologize or look the least bit guilty but every child stayed well away from him. And when he saw me, it was only to glare, wouldn't even give me the time of day after he beat that little child in front of me." 

It was hard, bringing this up, and he had no real proof it was the man...but...everything pointed to him. No one would have remarked on him walking past the front of their house, and he was close to home to quickly be out of sight. At least, at least he'd been home that day. The man wouldn't have had much time, and may well have left when the bastard heard him coming in to the house. Helen hadn't been defiled, only killed...perhaps the killer hadn't even realized he was home, he often took a short walk in the morning after spending all day each week in his little workshop, and the rest of the time in the house. 

Good information for Abraham, but not enough, not yet. He was sure he could locate the man based on this information, but more was needed. He was quiet for a bit, writing down the details of the man's description of what had happened, the history of the likely murderer and his family. Done, it was time for more details.

"Do you know his name? His address?"

"Address...not...not the number. He lives only two houses south of us on Thornsbeach, just north of Newquay, and the front of his house is painted brown and starting to peel. I never looked at the house number, but it's the only brown house nearby, and it's small, smallest house there. His name...Frank. Frank Davies."

"That will be enough to locate it, thank you. Can you describe him for me?"

"Not much to describe, he's not much to look at. Dark blond hair, maybe light brown, keeps it short. Not so tall as me, but tall, lean. Not skinny, but no bulk. Don't know the eye color, he has a beard, dark brown, keeps it trimmed." Eric's brow furrowed, trying to think of more about this man. There just wasn't much to tell. "Not really anything you'd notice about him. Likes to whistle, you can usually hear him if he's near. Can't whistle worth a damn, though. Not bald, but losing some hair, usually has a grey cap. I expect he's in his thirties, might be a bit older."

Really, it wasn't a bad description at all. Nothing to make him stand out in a large crowd...but in that small of an area, a tall thin man in a grey cap would be someone they could find.

"Is there anything else you can think to add to his?" Eric closed his eyes, clearly digging through memories, memories that were months old already.

"His job. He's a tanner, or works for a tanner, somehow. Leaves his house, walks north past ours. Don't know where he works, but he's generally going past our house a bit past 7, and returns around 7 at night. Goes to the pub on t'other side of us, too, a block north, for lunch on Saturdays, and that's when they died, I was comin' in to eat my lunch an' found them." Eric's voice had gone a bit softer, and he was fighting through his grief to talk...Abraham was more and more convinced that this man had been unjustly sentenced. "Don't know as there's much else to say. He kept to 'imself, not married, didn't have much in common with t'others in the neighborhood, didn't do much more than a hello if he walked by. Not someone I'd have ever paid attention to if he hadn't worried Helen so."

"I see...I am more and more convinced that you are a victim here and not the cold-hearted child killer I had been told. If this information holds up, and I have few doubts that it will, I see no reason to keep you locked down here. You'll need to stay in inside my home until you've been pardoned or exonerated or whatnot...I can't leave a convicted murderer to wander about London even if I'm sure of your innocence at that time! It may be days or even weeks, but I'll try to keep you comfortable and make this less of a prison as I can. Alucard will have to stay here, but I doubt you'll be kept here much longer." The man looked reassured, but by the contemplative glance he gave the closed coffin, he may not have had many doubts about the necessity of that continued imprisonment. Abraham had no doubts, not after learning the history of the beast he kept locked away. He'd been a monster when alive, and as Lucy and Mina had shown, he was a predator and humans were his prey. Eric may be the exception to that rule, but he'd never risk the safety of everyone else on that fact!

"I noticed you've trimmed your hair and beard a bit. I apologize for the size of the scissors...but...I am very loathe to give the vampire anything he can use as a weapon. He managed to strike me with a bottle, knocking me silly and leaving a cut on my head, and I'd have thought him unable to do that much. If you would, I'd much appreciate it if you'd bring the bottles over here and push them under the door." Not many bottles, but Alucard's blood was stored in them and there wasn't much of an option unless he wanted to continue the practice of shooting him unconcious and pouring the blood down his throat then! Eric nodded, and moved out of sight to the side of the door. A clinking sound, and Abraham bent to open the flap. Bottles were pushed through, collected, and placed off to the side in the hallway...along with an empty canteen. Abraham would never have thought their leftover supplies from the journey to capture the Count would come in so useful still! The empty jug that had held the beer followed, barely able to fit through but with a scrape and a twist, Eric got it through.

"Are you getting enough to eat and drink now? I'll bring you a set of meals each day, but do I need to bring more food?"

"No, not really." Eric lips twisted a bit as he added, "As long as it's more than two thin sandwiches, that is."

"I do apologize...I really had no idea that you'd be with us long enough to need feeding, and expected you to be eaten at any time. I am very glad that did not happen...but...at the time, I was reluctant to waste food on someone I thought to be on the brink of death. It would seem he has no intention of consuming you any time soon and, if the information you gave me is correct, you should be out of there before that becomes a problem. He isn't inclined to eat you...but...he is a vampire, and you are prey, and I can't see him passing up a meal indefinitely!" Abraham turned to leave, snapping shut the bottom bolts and preparing to slide the window closed, and Eric spoke.

"A newspaper. I would very much like one. I have been separated from the world for so long, I don't even know the day, much less the date. A chance to catch up on the world would be appreciated. Writing supplies, too...I was not allowed to send any letters from prison and my family knows little of what has happened to me and have not been able to speak with me since before the trial." Reasonable, that, with some conditions.

"I'll need to read it first. What we do here is secret, under the jurisdiction of the royal family and a few men at the highest levels of British leadership. Nothing about where you are, the vampire, myself, etc. can be in there in other than vague terms. But I see no harm in letting them know that you are alive and well. I'll bring your requests just before evening, along with dinner. Before he awakens, but close enough that I may speak with him shortly afterwards."

With that, Abraham slid the window closed and left. He had a great deal of information to organize and send to his friend, and would be meeting with the King Edward's representatives tomorrow. He'd convinced them to let him buy a prisoner...and, well, he had some explaining to do.

\--v---v--  
I ought to be able to wrap this up in one more chapter, maybe two. I know what's going to happen, I just have to get the scenes written and strung together, then I want to finish Hellsing Blood on fanfiction, and with luck even get back to the field trip story on ao3!  
The reviews are what have kept this story going...I know people are enjoying my story and it gives me the incentive to add a bit more to it!


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